Well so far the 356W is in the lead! LOL Yeah that was my vote. But seriously, I'd go with the 356 in it's STANDARD form which is rimmed. You cna find a Marliin ER in that caliber with no need to customize it any. Also you can find brass and ammo, if somewhat not to plentifull, where the rimless 356W (wouldn't that be a 358W???) you'd have to make all of your brass.

T-o-m who ain'ts sellin his Marlin ER

 

Good morning
Two basic factors I see with calibers is..
#1 Do I really like this caliber, is this for me, am I going to really shoot this? That is why I will end up with a 414 Supermag levergun.
#2 Performance on target.. what really happens when that projectile smacks the intended target fired from this caliber / rifle?
#3 Versitility.. Will this caliber perform all the tasks I set it to? Is it adaptable to perform other tasks.
#4 Ammo availability.. I am a reloader and caster and have no concerns in that dirrection. If not afraid of a little work brass can be made or found and used till consumed. 414 Supermag is one of those you just buy up or be willing to use 303 Savage as your base case.
That is how I try to evaluate another caliber addition. If in my heart I have to say.. UGH! Another hassle.. do not go there.
Mike in Peru

 

As much as I like the 35 remington --- if we are talking an area where we will be elk hunting. I have to give the 348 winchester the nod.

 

I think you skewed the question and the vote..........

You asked "Which of the 3 calibers is the better all around choice for the PNW?"...............Then, you talk of making your own brass and modifying a specific chosen rifle.....................

I think a better method is to ask your original question, but based on ammo that is commercially loaded for these calibers.........Not everyone hand loads, or modifies their rifles.

Also, for the type of hunting you plan to do, any of these calibers will do a fine job with the right load/bullet.

To show how skewed the question was, based on your stated use..........I would have chosen the 30-30 as the best all around caliber, based on rifle, ammo availability and costs and for a number of other reasons that fit mainstream criteria............And I don't hunt with a 30-30, nor do I want to............Further, the 348 is a caliber that does not fit the marlin action in terms of COL, commercially loaded bullet style or operating pressures......

After re-reading your question...............I would think the most popular answer would be "other" for the 30-06, and I actually chose the 35Rem based solely on the content of the question, for apparent reasons.

It will be interesting to see how others respond to this poll/question.

Thanks,

Tom

 

There's a lot of 'if's' in that question that need to be clarified before answering. The cartridges you mentioned don't all fit in the same platform, so you're not comparing apples to apples. To get the equvilent performance of the cartridges mentioned in a lever action I would go with a .358win in a Savage 99 or BLR. Maybe narrow down the question by telling us what is the donor gun going to be in this project.

 

I don't think this question is scewed. I gave you all the information I have at this point: I'm undecided on my platform and could use a Winchester M71 or a Marlin 336 depending on which round I go with. I feel that saying I'll be reloading my own brass doesn't scew things, its just the real honest truth.

 

One other thing is that I'm not interested in comparing apples to apples or what a factory loaded round can do. It's my opinion that when you have a winner there's usually a loser too and things are never equal.

 

go with th' one ye kin shoot best. that's prolly gonna be th' one ye shoots most. and fer me that'd be th' 35 remmie 'cuz my artheritis don't like recoil like it useta. nine times outta ten--er more--th' placement matters more'n th' ballistics. nuff said!
mind yer topknot!
windy

 

Factory issued 356 are great if you can find one. Rechambered guns have been a little fussy about reaching the full potential of the cartridge.

Model 71 is a great gun, but tough to mount a scope. If that's not an issue now, it will be in later years. It's why I got rid of mine.


35 rem is underfed in factory ammo, but handloaded stuff still falls short of the competition.


There are 3 other traditional lever cartidges not mentioned that would be on my short list...444, 45-70 & 338 Marlin Express.

 

I'd say the .356, by a wide margin. Even if you reload all your own fodder, buying off the shelf is possible and with lots more ummmffff than the .35 Rem will give you. Looking at reloadable bullets available, the .356 beats the .348, by a wide margin. 180grFN, numerous 200grRN, 200gr FTX, 220grFN, and a number of 250grRN & FN are all available, should you choose the hotter .35. The death of the .348 was caused by the newer .358Win and the .356 is simply a rimmed .358, as already noted. No, they do not carry equal capabilities, but the cases are all but identical, also giving one the option of using .308Win or .358Win brass at .356 pressures. You would also have the option of at least experimenting with such excellent bullets as the 225gr Nosler Partition & 180gr TSX with the .356 option and using the rifle as a two-shot special. The .358Win will push that TTSX at a claimed velocity of 2800 FPS.

 

Everything 336ER said is the truth and makes the .356win the logical choice. But, if you can wait for a good Winchester 71 to come along and live with the compontent shortcomings, it is the 'nostalgia' choice. The .348win has the cool factor.

 

if you can wait for a good Winchester 71 to come along and live with the compontent shortcomings, it is the 'nostalgia' choice. The .348win has the cool factor.

I agree with this statement, which is why I'm looking at a lever action and planning on only using a peep site in the first place. There's just something about these guns that's not there with other styles and causes such an overwhelming feeling of nastalgia when I fire them. As for the 338 MX, I have ruled this caliber out because there's no way I know of to get this gun without a safety on it and I absolutely HATE the idea of a safety on a lever action rifle, it just seems sacriligious and defaces its natural beauty.
I realize, practically, the bolt action in 30-06 or 270 is a much better choice and would offer me the option for those longer range shots but having a rifle that limits me to shorter ranges by not having it scoped and zeroed at 250 yards will provide me a lot more pleasure at this point in my life.
I hope that helps alleviate some of your negative feelings about the choices I listed and the limits I placed on this discussion.

 

I'm on Tomrays train...since the question left a lot of holes in the parameters...If in a lever gun and could only choose one it would be the 338MX...because there are a lot of open expanses in your area requiring more reach than even the 356 has....if a bolt gun,.. the old 30-06 will do most anything including giving me plenty of brass to make 35Whelen which i love dearly too...if I'm not allowed to reload the the 338MX and the Whelen still fit the bill even if all my ammo has to be mail ordered

 

I have a Browning .348, two .35 Remingtons, a .358 BLR, a .444, had a .45-70, (will have another), a .375 Winchester, but never a .356. I like them all. A lot! But the '86 action is my favorite by just a little.

As far as bullets for the .348...how many bullets do you need. I can buy bullets in 165, 180, 200, 220 and 250, from Hornady, Hawk, Barnes and some others. If you cast your own there are all those I just mentioned, plus more, or just design your own mold. With iron sights or a peep your range is not much greater than 200 yards.

With others that posted, a factory available round simplifies your life.

 

I would go straight to the 358 Winchester....

 

I think shorty hit it on the head....the 358 win will do everything the others will do and on the HOT loaded rounds it pulls ahead....browning blr...

 

I like the feedback but have a couple "holes" to plug:
1. I'm only interested in a Marlin or Winchester rifle
2. I'm only interested in a range of 200 yards max! (I know the shot could be further but won't be taking it... I took my first buck this last fall at a little over 500 yards)
3. I'm interested in the calibers I listed
4. I'm not interested in mounting anything but a peep site on this rifle
Hope that clears things up a bit more.

 

With these clarifications, the "COOL" factor of the Winchester 71 in 348 is hard to beat!, the 356 Win is also "COOL", when I get some ammo loaded for mine I'll let everyone know how cool! (found it locally for $62 a box!!!:vollkommenauf
I pack my 35 Rem for deer and bear, on the west side, on the east side I pack my 270Win (timber) or 300Win (desert), Wapiti gets the 338 win out of the safe, pushing 42 years here in Orygun, that's how I do it.:beerglass:

 

Go for the 356 if you can. Basically...the facotry ammo is not over easy to find, but in a general compaison of factory ammo, the 356 is a 35 Remington plus 400-500 fps. That gives you a better trajecotry to 200 yards and a whole lot more smack down.

I have hunted with both...and there is a definate dfference in how hard they seem to hit.

 

whats PNW ?

 

I also have both 356 Win. and 358 and both or excellent cartridges. But rifles in 356Win. is no longer being made and the 358 Win. is. You can re-chamber a 336 35 Rem. to 356 Win. and I hear that the 35 rem. bolt will work with 358 win./308 win. brass. But when you hand load you must use 356 win data. There are MO members that have did it and swear by them.

Personally I will just buy a BLR and be done with it. The 356 Win. maybe everything a 35 Rem. is and more, but the 358 Win is everything a 356W and a 35 Rem. is and much more.

I will say this if you come across a good 338MX or XLR buy it.

T:hmmmm:NY

 

Gordie, PNW is Pacific North West.

 

and while you are thumbing through that 358 winchester data, I could show you pages of published 356 winchester data that are identical. Your biggest difference comes with a longer barrel and pointy bullets. Under 200 yards, pointy bullets offer little advantage. I love my 356, but this would be an opportunity to get a BLR in 358 and play with a box magazine and some 225gr Noslers. The idea of loading a two shot sounds fair also - having never needed a third shot and rarely a second shot.

Jeff
NRA Life

 

Sweetwater I like my Win. 94AE 356W. if you can show me published data that equals the 358W. I would appreciate it. It's a hard find when looking for it. Most powder and bullet companies who offers loading date don't even list the 356W. I bought a Hornady #8 manual and to my surprise no data for the 356W. I call Hornady a complaint. But didn't get a reasonable answer. I call Hododgon and asked why isn't the Leverevolution powder listed for the 356W. answer was "not enough call for it to bother."

So I surely would appreciate it if you would turn me on to more published data for the 356W.:marchmellow:

I thank you in advance.
T:biggrin:NY

 

Some Good Reading 358 WCF

 

Well I've looked at this thread a few times now & I feel I have the Marlin for you. It isn't chambered in one of the cartridges you requested but it was built for just the type of hunting that you do in the PNW (I live in Idaho). For ELK,Picture a 255gr bullet at 2350fps with a SD of .259 or about the same as a 170gr .308 bullet. For DEER, picture a 220gr at 2500+fps. Sound interesting to you? I call it the 375 JCC-Marlin.



View attachment 375JCCMarlin_Hornady3705.pdf View attachment 375JCCMarlin_Barnes5510.pdf <IMG id=vbattach_20475 class=previewthumb alt="" src="http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20475&stc=1" attachmentid="20475">

 

Well I've looked at this thread a few times now & I feel I have the Marlin for you. It isn't chambered in one of the cartridges you requested but it was built for just the type of hunting that you do in the PNW (I live in Idaho). For ELK,Picture a 255gr bullet at 2350fps with a SD of .259 or about the same as a 170gr .308 bullet. For DEER, picture a 220gr at 2500+fps. Sound interesting to you? I call it the 375 JCC-Marlin. View attachment 20474 View attachment 20473 View attachment 20475

The picture you have attached looks a awful lot like a .338 ME case, is it? Cause it doesn't look like a .338 RCM blown out to .375.

 

Having hunted some northern bear I feel strongly that every once in a while one may experience that tougher than normal critter. When one finds himself up close and personal with a determined very upset large animal one tends to wish for a instant solution. I like the power afforded from such a round as the 348 win. BUT THE FACTOR OF AVAILIBITY AND COST really makes this much less attractive. I personally have not hunted in WA, OR, etc. but only having the size comparison delievered through cable hunting shows know that there are some huge black blacks roaming those large coastal islands. Only owned one Win model 71 in 348. Found it to be accurate and certainly enough gun for the job. All this being said, give me a 45-70 marlin levergun and I would feel pretty well armed for bear and elk.

 

Jeepster - I'd be interested in learning more about your creation. I read a couple articles yesterday about 2 other .375 options: the .375JDJ and Paco Kelly's .375/.356 Ultra Improved - both of which sound impressive. Where does your creation line in comparison or have you heard of these rounds? Apparently Paco's load is created by using a .356 Winchester as the starter case...
I'm intrigued by this caliber but after more research into the .356/.358 Winchester really like the versatility for loading this round - I could use bonded core JHP handgun SD rounds for deer or for bigger critters go with a 250 gr Hawk bullet or some sort of hardcast with a wide meplat.
I'm not set yet so I'd love to learn more about your .375 creation.

 

Well it's a simple wildcat for sure.........just like I wanted. For the cartridge itself, start with the 338 Ruger RCM case & open the neck up to 375...............That's it. The case holds about 72grs of water & come out of my die at 2.00" in length. For the rifle, start with a 450M or 450XLR action(stronger V threads & proper bolt face & mag tube ect), Rebarrel to 375 & chamber to 375 JCC Marlin. The action took very little work to get things working properly. Load to 45000psi max & your done.

The 375 JDJ is too long & the bullets need to be seated too deep for the marlin action. My 375 JCC case has more capacity & the same basic performance in a package that fits better in the Marlin. It has more capacity then the 375/356 also & will get more velocity given equal pressures. My rifle feeds perfect & shoot well. I did need to open up the neck area of the chamber to .409 from .405 because the base of the neck was thicker then anticipated & I didn't want to turn the case necks down to fit.

So far I have only shot the hornady 220gr flat point but as soon as the weather warms up abit I'll give the 255 Barnes O a try. That will be my elk load for this year in Idaho. By the way, I own a 356Win also. The 375 JCC is just a little more of the same thing.

John